Hawaii's Blue
by Neko-ane
Summary: This is an AU, SI, and OOC all combined. It's made to be funny, so no flames, please! This is about the Suzaku 7 and myself going to Hawaii. I didn't base it off anyone else's story, either. I just posted it after the other Hawaii fic came out.
1. New Clothes and Microphones

((Heyas! This is my second fic! Aren't y'all proud? I started this one way back in October, when I went to Hawaii for two weeks. All of the places mentioned actually exist, and I even visited them. (Surprise of surprises…) Each chapter will have a brief explanation about the actual place and some of the events that really happened. As is, this is the story of my journey with the Suzaku seven, plus one god. And it isn't the god you're all thinking…  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. I do, however, own the god being used and myself. Duh. Naw, I don't own myself! I'm just a figmentation of your imagination. This fanfic therefore doesn't really exist. You're just staring at a blank screen. Welcome to the Matrix.  
  
...Psych!  
  
Warning: Random OOCness. A LOT of OOCness. Excessive OOCness.))   
  
Chapter one: New Clothes and Microphones  
  
The flight terminal was crowded with people of every race, history, and vocation. Dizzying colors were sported by the 'modern' art placed on all walls, ceilings and even the tiles on the floor.  
  
"Why are we gettin' on one a these steel bird things again?"  
  
Rachel sighed. ~Not another explanation…~ She had already had to explain that the hulking metal contraption was a plane to Chichiri twice. "It's a plane, Tasuki. We're riding it so that we can go to an island."  
  
"I don' like it."  
  
"Be glad we aren't taking a boat no da." Chichiri said with a mischievous grin.  
  
Tasuki crossed his arms. "Feh. We still haveta go over water." He glanced down at the garish red t-shirt he had been forced into. "And why d'we have t'wear different clothes?"  
  
Chiriko fielded that one. "If we didn't we would stick out like a sore boot, and would most likely be stopped by the fuzz." said the child prodigy. He looked up at Rachel with an anxious expression. "Am I using 'slang' correctly?"  
  
She smiled at the question. He was just so cute that she didn't have the heart to correct him. "Of course, Chiriko!" There was a commotion behind her and she looked around, paling slightly. "Oh, no…"  
  
"Rachel-sama? What's up no da?"  
  
She simply pointed, and everyone turned, eyes widening. Photographers and reporters had mobbed Hotohori for the third time since arriving.  
  
"When is your movie coming out?"  
  
"Will there be a sequel?"  
  
"Are you a model? Do you have an agent?"  
  
"Here, take my card!"  
  
"We are not-" Hotohori attempted, but was interrupted by Rachel clamping a hand over his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise as the girl and Chichiri dragged him backwards out of the knot of microphones.  
  
"Sorry! He's late for his flight! No more questions, please!" Rachel forced a grin. Would these reporters ever get a CLUE?! Some of these faces had been in the crowd the last two times…  
  
"Baka! How many times do we have to tell you not to use the imperial 'we'?" she hissed.  
  
"Mmmph?"  
  
Chichiri sighed. This was going to be a looooong trip. "You might want to move your hands, Rachel-sama no da."  
  
"Hmm?" She looked at Hotohori, who was turning slightly blue and looking distressed. "Oh! Gomen nasai, Hotohori!" she exclaimed, releasing him and taking a precautionary step back.  
  
Hotohori coughed, then smiled warily. "I'm fine, Rachel-chan."  
  
"Flight number 56 now boarding." A nasal voice called over the PA system.  
  
"Agh! We aren't even near the gate yet!!!" Rachel shouted as she sprinted for the escalator.  
  
((Okieday. This is, obviously, an SI. Originally it was written in one-shot form, but it was rather long, so I separated it into chapters. Gomen for the Hotohori bashing, guys! It isn't that I don't like him; I just value my life. Any of the other sei would've put me out of business in two seconds flat. Umm… Oh, yeah! I kinda replaced Miaka as the priestess in this fic, but I'm also a sei. It's rather confuselating…  
  
Review please! Tell me if you like it, if there's anything I should change, and if I should continue posting this, please!)) 


	2. Blue Christmas: A Parody in Music

((This is a little parody on Irving Berlin's 'White Christmas' I made up while I was in Hawaii. I do not own that song. However, the parody was fun, and later has something to do with the fic, but the whole thing won't be posted, so for those of you who wanted to know how the whole thing goes, here ya are!))  
  
I'm dreaming of a blue Christmas  
Just like the ones I used to know.  
Where the palmtrees glisten,   
And seishi listen,  
To hear surfboards on the foam.  
  
I'm dreaming of a blue Christmas  
With every postcard that I write.  
May your days be bitchin' and bright,  
And may all your Christmases be blue.  
  
((*snicker*)) 


	3. Flight 56

((Muahahahahaaaa!!! I finally found my notebook!!! Terror and world destruction shall ensue!!!! Kekekekekkekeeeeeee!!!  
  
…*blinkblink* Why did I just cackle like Tomo???? And why am I over-amplifying all of my questions and shouts???  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. Like, duh. I am not Yuu Watase, therefore I do not own FY. There, happy?  
  
Warning: As usual it is extremely OOC. Everybody is OOC… YAY!!! Oh, and this is the first chapter with fluff. Another warning: My fluff very often borders on hentai, so don't be shocked. Oh, and from here on in the story is more of a romance/humor/parody. If it doesn't make sense to you, don't worry. It doesn't make sense to me, either.  
  
There are a few new symbols that need clearing up:  
  
~ Means someone is thinking~  
  
*means someone is speaking with an emphasis*  
  
~@~ - is a scene change or means that time has elapsed.))  
  
Chapter two: Flight 56  
  
"Rachel-sama?"  
  
"Nani?" she asked turning away from the window. They hadn't taken off yet, but she was trying to keep herself from blushing. ~Stupid Nuriko… Sure, we're a couple, but… I guess I'm still shy…~ Stormy blue gaze met warm mahogany. She felt her face heat up slightly, and new that she was probably blushing lightly. "What's up?"  
  
"…I was just wondering why Nuriko forced me into this get-up no da?"  
  
Rachel looked him up and down with one eyebrow raised. She hadn't really had a chance to examine the full effect of modern clothes on the mage before, and was rather impressed. Nuriko had picked out loose-fitting black jeans, a tight-fitting tank top of the same shade, and a loose blue short-sleeved over shirt. After a minor argument he had been convinced to discard the prayer beads for a small silver gothic cross.  
  
~Oh, wow…~ She shrugged nonchalantly, the motion belying her pounding heart. "You look good." Smiling warmly, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you opted not to wear the mask."  
  
"Arigato na no da."  
  
…Then the plane began to move. Everyone was fairly calm, Rachel was pleased to note. The seishi had never been on a plane before, and she had been worried that the unexpected movement would cause some… difficulties.  
  
She relaxed to soon.  
  
"What the f*ck is goin' on? Why are we goin' f*ckin' backwards?!"  
  
"Sir, calm down! The plane is turning around!"   
  
"Where's Rachel? I need t'talk wi'er!"  
  
The girl in question sank down as far as she could in the seat, face burning with embarrassment. ~Oh gods…~  
  
"Sir! Please sit down! Sir, return to your seat!"  
  
Chichiri watched Rachel with a worried expression. He stood, murmuring, "I'll deal with him this time no da."  
  
"Thank you."   
  
He smiled gently. "You're welcome no da." He moved toward the next compartment, where some poor flight attendant was being verbally assaulted. "Tasuki, what is your *problem* no da?!"  
  
~@~  
  
Bing.  
  
"Please buckle your seatbelts and remember that this is a *non-smoking* flight."  
  
Click.  
  
"I guess that means we're taking off…" Rachel commented as she buckled herself in. She had a little habit of talking to herself. Okay, so it's a *big* habit.  
  
The plane started moving down the runway, gaining speed rapidly. The wheels came off the ground and they were in the air.  
  
She looked out the window, watching the roads and parking lots and city drop away beneath the hulking metal contraption.  
  
Chichiri leaned over her shoulder, watching the rapidly shrinking scenery below. "Wow…" he breathed.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard the low murmur and felt his warm breath against her cheek. She glanced back at him.  
  
There was a smile playing at the corners of his lips. Rachel couldn't see his good eye, but she knew it would be sparkling with the anticipation of new adventures. He had been restless for several weeks, the tedium of helping her write fanfics getting to him, and it seemed that this trip would be the successful remedy she had hoped.  
  
~Sort of like a little kid…~ she thought fondly, a smile of her own forming. Rachel sighed and leaned back, shoulder bumping against the monk's chest. She felt herself blush again as he turned to her, an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "…sorry."  
  
Her gaze was caught by his and Rachel leaned toward him hesitantly, heart pounding.  
  
Chichiri reached out to brush a stray strand of her hair back into place, leaning forward as he did so. Their lips met softly, then she draped her arms about his shoulders, pulling him closer, kissing back with more force.  
  
His hands cupped her face as the kiss ended, and he caught her one last time, the sweetness of the kiss setting their senses reeling.  
  
"Maybe we should separate you two." Nuriko commented for the aisle seat when Chichiri and Rachel had sat back in their original positions, hands intertwined.  
  
"You sat us here no da."   
  
The lavender-haired man stuck out his tongue. "I didn't expect you to do *that*."  
  
Rachel came out of her daze with a grin. "Really? 'Chiri, we won the bet! We surprised him!"  
  
Nuriko crossed his arms in agitation. "I never said I was surprised!"  
  
~@~  
  
Rachel watched the ocean and clouds slip by out her window. ~…Kristen-sama'd love this! It's so blue…~  
  
Bing.  
  
"Please take off your headsets and give them to the flight attendant as they walk by. We'll be handing out a mandatory paper from the Department of Agriculture. Please inform us if you have any fruits or vegetables on board."  
  
Click.  
  
Nuriko grinned wickedly and pointed at Rachel and Chichiri. "We have a couple of fruits right here."  
  
"Hey! That wasn't nice, you – you – you *shemale*!" the russet-haired teen retaliated.  
  
"That was s'posed to be an insult?! Rach, you're losing you touch!" the man snickered.  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
"What, Rach?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Rach? You don't want me to call you Rach?"  
  
Chichiri glared at Nuriko. "Leave her alone." His tone left no room for argument.  
  
"Fine. Be that way."  
  
Bing.  
  
"We will be touching down in twenty minutes. Please be sure your seatbelts are fastened and that all carry-ons are safely stored."  
  
Click.  
  
~@~  
  
"Wow… The water's so beautiful!" Rachel exclaimed. The water below was deepest blue, fading to light blue, to blue-green, to green, and finally to crystal clear.  
  
The plane began its descent, pulling around to face the runway. There was a sudden drop in altitude that caused several passengers to grip their armrests in surprise.  
  
Rachel just grinned. "That was *fun*!"  
  
((Chapter two is finished! Yee-ha! Hmmm… Time for an interesting little factoid. I was actually writing this chapter while *on the plane*. It's really hard to write legibly during turbulence, y'know?  
  
Wolf-dog: Glad you like! Now that I found the notebook new chapters should be posted pretty regularly. I have a three day weekend coming up, too, so I'll probably finish chapter 8 of Rei.   
  
Otaku-no-miko: Thanks for reviewing, Kristen-sama! This chapter is dedicated to you, by the way. I don't know why, it just is!  
  
Other readers: Please review!!!)) 


	4. Baggage Claims and Bad Jokes

((I'm baaaaaaa-ack! Aren't those the scariest words you've ever heard? Puts me in mind of Beetlejuice and Frankenstein. *shrugs* Of course, this is coming from me, a Trekkie/Dr. Who fanatic/Beatlemaniac/Tim Burtonite. So it's bound to be weird, right? Just like this story, come to think of it… And for all those who might be wondering what led up to this story, I plan on starting work on a prequel as soon as this one is completed.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. Naw, really? I thought I did…  
  
Chichiri: *sighs* There she goes again no da…  
  
Warning: OOCness and some exceedingly bad jokes courtesy of Nuriko and myself. Heh. There will be LOTS of them from here on in…))  
  
Chapter three: Baggage Claims and Bad Jokes  
  
"Baggage claims are that way." Chiriko said, pointing to the right.  
  
"That's alright, Chiriko. We have all the *baggage* we need." Rachel glared pointedly at Nuriko.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
~@~  
  
Getting their luggage wasn't too much of a hassle, though Tasuki had been a little freaked out by the "near-loss" of his tessen. ("Ah! I missed my bag! Whaddle I doooooo???" "Calm down! It'll come back!")  
  
The whole group of nine had somehow managed to make it outside without being killed by rabid water-fountains, and were now waiting for the bus that would take them to the rental station.  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
"It's late," Rachel said, checking her watch and resuming tapping the seconds with her foot. Yet another one of her bad habits, she always kept time to imaginary music with her foot.  
  
"Why're we renting a car? Can any of us even *drive*?" Tamahome asked.  
  
She pointed to herself. "Like, duh."  
  
Tamahome nodded as the bus pulled up, satisfied that that problem had been solved.  
  
Doors hissing open, the beast waited. And waited… and waited.  
  
"IS ANYBODY GETTING ON?!!" Rachel cried.  
  
Everybody jumped, then started piling into the bus.   
  
"Thank you."  
  
~@~  
  
The bus was completely fill, several passengers standing up. Although this may have had something to do with their reluctance to get to close to the people with the rainbow variety of hair. They were a little afraid that these people might have violent tendencies.  
  
Rachel was sitting between the broad-shouldered Mitsukake and the much smaller Nuriko. She watched dilapidated buildings slide by the window. ~This place reminds me of downtown Sacramento without all the graffiti…~  
  
"Rachel-sensei?"  
  
"Chiriko, you know I'm not your teacher. What is it?"  
  
"What's a 'con-do'?"  
  
Nuriko snickered. "Something I hope she remembers to use…" he muttered.  
  
Rachel flushed hotly. "Nu-ri-ko! Please refrain from those comments in front of children!"  
  
"Children?? He's only four years younger than you!"  
  
"What comment?" Chiriko asked innocently.  
  
"Hehheh… Nevermind. A condo – " she shot a warning glance at Mr. Crude-sex-jokes. "Is a sort of apartment, but a lot bigger than the typical cardboard box." Rachel paused, biting her lip worriedly. ~We're still going to have people sharing rooms… and knowing Nuriko…~  
  
The bus stopped in front of the car rental agency.  
  
~@~  
  
"Yay! We got car number thirteen!!" Rachel exclaimed, coming out of the agency with a set of keys in her hand and a bounce in her step.  
  
Everybody else face-vaulted.  
  
Mitsukake spoke up this time. "Thirteen is a very unlucky number, Rachel-chan."  
  
"Oh for - ! You people don't actually believe those stupid superstitions, do you?"  
  
The sei and god stared at the ground, nervously shuffling their feet.  
  
She sighed. "Just *get* in the *car*."  
  
((Whaddya think???   
  
Paws-bells: Yay!! Thanks for reviewing! Glad you like it! Yup, I'm a HUGE as in MAJOR 'Chiri fan. Let's just put it this way: If I saw a guy at a comnicon who looked marginally like him, I'd glomp the poor guy and not let go until I had to leave.)) 


	5. Condo

((A new chappie of Hawaii's Blue (which, surprisingly, it is). Aren't y'all proud of me?  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. I do own mahself, though. In my entire bad Texan accented glory. Not to mention Hikari, but does the vapid little snit count?  
  
Warning: OOCness, an addiction to TV, and an extremely fluffy moment...))  
  
Chapter four: Condo  
  
Chiriko charged into the condo as soon as the door opened.  
  
"TVTVTVTVTV!!!!" the child prodigy shouted, flopping down on one of three couches and snatching the remote.  
  
Rachel shook her head. "Oh no... We'll never tear him away..."  
  
"Let the kid have some fun!" Hikari said, vapid as ever.  
  
"Fun?! That damn idiot box causes brain damage!"  
  
The god grinned wickedly. "Shouldn't hurt him much."  
  
Nuriko shot him a glare, then turned to the russet with an equally evil grin. "We need to figure out sleeping arrangements."  
  
"There are only two rooms." Rachel frowned with dawning apprehension.  
  
"Then two of us will share the futon, Chiriko can sleep on a couch, so can Tama-baby. Three of us can share one room, and two can have the other. Simple. But who should sleep with whom?"  
  
The girl's eyes widened. "Ooooooh no you don't!"  
  
"I don't *what*?" The man chuckled evilly. "Now let's see... Me and Hikari should share the futon, Mitsukake, Hotohori, and Tasuki can share a room... and..." Nuriko's impish grin widened. "Oops! I didn't *mean* to put you and Chichiri in a room together, I swear!"  
  
"Da?!"  
  
"Ha. Very ha-ha, Nuriko."  
  
"Could always put monk-boy and Hikari in a room together, you know." Nuriko responded.  
  
Hikari looked up hopefully.  
  
"No. Definitely not." Rachel said flatly.  
  
~@~  
  
Rachel sat on the bed in her choice of sleepwear (plaid pj's with a Disneyland tee), art supplies strewn around her as she attempted to sketch a small dove she had seen earlier.  
  
"Rachel-sama?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Would you rather I sleep on the floor no da?"  
  
She glanced up at the mage. "Hell no. The floor is tile for one thing, and I may be evil, but I'm not that evil." Rachel said, moving some of her art supplies aside to make a spot for Chichiri.  
  
~@~  
  
~Relax, baka! He won't try anything!~ Rachel thought as she forced every muscle in her body to un-tense. ~Would you mind if he did?~ a small voice asked. ~Oh shut *up*!~  
  
The monk was fast asleep beside her, lying on his side, back facing her.  
  
~You'd think he was mad at me or something...~ She sighed, closing her eyes, finally falling asleep.  
  
~@~  
  
Rachel woke thoroughly confused and definitely unable to move.  
  
~What the...?~ she thought groggily, the fact that she was being held loosely slowly registering in her mind. Her eyes snapped open. ~H-he's... holding me?~ She twisted around to look at the mage.  
  
His good eye was closed and he was obviously still sleeping peacefully. One of his arms was draped over her waist, hand clasping Rachel's.  
  
~Might as well enjoy the close contact while it lasts...~ she thought with a contented sigh. She relaxed, closing her eyes.  
  
The door slammed open, revealing Nuriko with a camera. "Awww... Now *this* is a Kodak moment!" He snickered.  
  
Rachel grabbed her pillow and threw it at the camera bearing purple-haired monster. "Go'way." she muttered.  
  
"Rise and shine, guys! C'mon! *We've* all been up for hours!"  
  
"ONLY 'CAUSE YOU ****IN' WOKE US UP!!!" Tasuki shouted from upstairs.  
  
Chichiri woke with a start. He glared malevolently at Nuriko. "Out." He tossed his pillow in the general direction of the evil presence. The monk sat up and covered a yawn. "Your chi is decidedly evil this morning no da. What time is it?"  
  
"Nine A.M. in Cali, six A.M. here."  
  
Rachel slipped out of the bed with a feral grin. "You are aware that you're dead, aren't you?" she said, tensing to spring.  
  
Nuriko's eyes widened. He recognized that look. "Only if you can catch me, neko-oni!" he cried, tearing back up the stairs.  
  
With an evil snicker, Rachel followed after at warp speed.  
  
~@~  
  
"So where are we going today?" Chiriko asked. Rachel had forcefully confiscated the remote and he was now seeing if he could beat his record of 3.5 seconds on the rubix cube.  
  
"I was thinking the Dole plantation. Any objections?" Rachel asked from her perch on the counter. She was seemingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, a fact that annoyed almost everybody else. This attitude could be largely attributed to a shower and large amounts of intravenously injected caffeine (not literally, of course). If she hadn't been sitting, she would have been bouncing on the balls of her feet.   
  
"Nah."  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Alrighty!" Chiriko snapped the final piece into place, beating his earlier record by one second.  
  
"Let's go, girl!"  
  
Rachel glanced up from her brochure sharply. "Not in fishnet stockings, you're not."  
  
Hikari looked thoroughly put out. He stamped his foot, huffing in annoyance. "Fine!" he snapped, going downstairs to change.  
  
"So it's settled then?"  
  
Chichiri looked up form the magazine he had been examining. "Looks like it no da."  
  
Hikari reappeared at the top of the stairs wearing a pair of white shorts and a powder blue tee. "This better?"  
  
The sei and miko all exchanged glances, and then nodded fervently. This change was definitely better than the Dr. Frank N. Furter costume.  
  
((Yee-haw! For anybody who hasn't seen Rocky Horror Picture Show (and therefore had no idea *what* Hikari was wearing), I recommend you rent it. As long as you happen to be at least fifteen and not traumatized by the image of Tim Curry in drag.   
  
There was also a reference to Star Trek... I seem to type a lot of those...  
  
Please review! Not like I'm gonna stop writing if you don't, but... Well, a little constructive criticism is welcomed.  
  
And the "I'm evil, but I'm not that evil" comment has to do with the fact that I am incurably insane and tend to enjoy torturing my characters.   
  
I said that I'd put in a little explanation of places, didn't I? The condo was beautiful, but incredibly small. I think nine people living in it would actually be impossible... -_-;; But, please suspend disbelief for the time being. It had white tile floors in every room (going down the stairs, the bedrooms, the kitchen, bathroom, etc.). And it was only a few blocks away from a beach! ...I think that's all that was interesting about it... Hmm... Yup. That's it.)) 


	6. The Dole Plantation

((Hiyas! ^_^ I ist back! My writer's block on Rei is still running rampant, but I figured I'd type up a chapter of Hawaii's Blue (since it's already finished).  
  
Disclaimer(s): I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. I do own myself, and I do own Hikari. Sad to say, but yes, the okama god of light came out of my poor little imagination… -_-;;  
  
I also don't own the tour tape that was running at the Dole Plantation train ride, or the ride itself, or the plantation… Like, duh.  
  
Warning(s): OOCness. Lot's of it, as usual. Some Hikari-bashing, but hey, he belongs to me, right? Rampant fluffiness. Sad, but true… I'm such a romantic goop. ^_~ ))  
  
Chapter five: The Dole Plantation  
  
"We get to ride on the train??" Chiriko asked, face flushed with excitement. He'd never been on a train before, and even though this was simply a little tour ride, it was a new experience for him. The poor kid didn't get out much.  
  
Tamahome smiled fondly at him. "Sure thing, Chiriko! It should be fun!"  
  
Rachel's expression mirrored Tamahome's perfectly as she watched him ruffle the smaller boys hair. Sometimes it really amazed her how close they all were. Sure, they argued a lot, just like siblings, but all in all the group were as closely knit as an angora sweater.  
  
The entire group of nine was standing on the platform waiting for the train that would take them on a circuit track around the pineapple plantation. The rather odd assortment of hairstyles and colors was drawing some strange looks from the other tourists.  
  
Hikari shuddered as he was winked at by an ancient Tai Yi-Jun look-alike. "Can I *please* change my form?" he whined.  
  
The priestess sighed. It couldn't hurt… "Oh, alright. But you have to change into something *believable* for this world, and make sure no one sees you do it."  
  
He grinned. "Thank the gods! Wait, thank me!" he cried, running off the platform for a private corner of the gardens not too far away.  
  
…Two seconds later a white ball of fluff ran back, clambering up to a perch on Chichiri's shoulder. The monk didn't look too happy about this, but he didn't say anything.  
  
Rachel raised her eyebrows. "A white *mongoose*, Hikari?"  
  
The god-turned-mongoose nodded vigorously.  
  
"…Alright… If you're sure…"  
  
The train pulled up, and the group was caught in a surge of movement as the other people on the platform jockeyed for spots on the train.  
  
"All aboard the Pineapple Express!"  
  
Hikari decided to jump to Tasuki's shoulder instead, causing the redhead to flinch and start cussing fluently.  
  
"…" Rachel rubbed the bridge of her nose exasperatedly. ~Here we go again…~  
  
~@~  
  
"The Hawaiian word for pineapple is halakahiki which means 'foreign fruit'. It is believed…" the tour tape droned.  
  
Rachel leaned against Chichiri with a sigh. This was a little bit less riveting than she had been expecting… "Wake me up when the tour's over, ya?" she murmured, closing her eyes. It was odd. A couple of days ago she would have blushed furiously at this much contact, but now it just felt… Right.   
  
"Caffeine wearing off no da?" he asked softly, resting his head lightly against hers.  
  
"Mmhmmm… Jetlag doesn't help either." She covered a yawn with the back of her hand.   
  
The tape droned on. "Most of the pineapple in Hawaii is grown at elevations below 3,000 feet…"  
  
~@~  
  
"Rachel… Wake up no da."  
  
"Nnn?" Rachel sat up groggily. "Is th'tour over?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
~@~  
  
The koi in the pond went into a frenzy as food was thrown into the water.  
  
Chiriko watched the boiling thrashing water raptly.  
  
Rachel put two quarters into a machine, turning the handle and catching the fish food in her palm. It wasn't for the fish, however. She sat down Indian-style on the cement, scattering some of the food in front of her, watching the little brown doves dart forward.  
  
Smiling happily, she placed her hand on the ground, palm open.  
  
Several doves flew up into the trees, startled by her movement. More than a few came hesitantly closer, heads bobbing comically. A few darted their heads tentatively toward her fingertips. Maybe her nails reminded them of claws? Finally, two of them started snatching food from her hand.  
  
"That's right, I won't hurt you."  
  
Chiriko turned from his pensive observation of the fish, a questioning look on his face. "Ne, Rachel-sempai?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
He looked away from her, blushing cutely. This was so embarrassing… "L-Let's go to the maze next, okay?"   
  
There, he'd said it. Mentally, he cringed, expecting her to laugh at him for being so childish.  
  
She glanced up at the younger teen. "Okay."  
  
The doves scattered as she stood. With a smile she threw the last of the food into the pond.   
  
"C'mon, let's go get the others."  
  
Chiriko turned back to her, barely masking a look of surprise and intense relief. So she didn't think his request was childish…  
  
~@~  
  
The maze was supposed to be the world's largest. At least, that's what the sign said.  
  
"This shouldn't be too hard…" Rachel commented. "Well, are we gonna pair off or split up?"   
  
"Why don't we all just do whatever?" Nuriko suggested.  
  
There was a general consent among the other members of the party.  
  
~@~  
  
Nuriko was hunting. He wasn't hunting for the stamps that proved you had finished the maze, oh no. He was hunting for a certain emperor…  
  
This was proving to be a difficult task. The emperor had disappeared quickly, losing Nuriko easily in the maze.  
  
~Oh Hotohoriiiiiii… Where art thou? ~ he thought, taking one of the myriad short cuts tourists had carved into the shrubbery.  
  
~@~  
  
Rachel grinned evilly as she quietly stalked a certain blue-haired seishi. "Your money or your life," she said in her best "mugger" accent, poking Chichiri in the back.  
  
The mage grinned, putting his hands up. "I don't have any money, but…" He turned around, catching her around the waist and pulling her close in the same fluid movement. "-maybe this will work?" he murmured as he leaned in close.  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as his lips brushed softly against hers. She melted into his embrace as the kiss deepened, knees suddenly weak.  
  
"Geez guys! Get a room!"  
  
The couple moved apart reluctantly, both glaring at Nuriko.  
  
He just grinned. "Have either of you seen Hotohori-sama?"  
  
Rachel looked up at Chichiri, who shook his head. Looking back to the lavender-haired man, she said, "No. Why?" Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion.  
  
Nuriko stuck his tongue out at her. "None of your damn business," he said, disappearing through one of the nearby shortcuts.  
  
~@~  
  
"Hotohori-baby!" Nuriko cried, immediately glomping the emperor. It had taken him a long time, but he had finally found his prey.   
  
~Oh no…~ Hotohori rolled his eyes. "Kenichiwa Nuriko," he said, attempting to detach the purple leech.  
  
"Hehheh! You're mine now!" ~You'll never escape! Never!~  
  
"Can't… breathe…" he gasped.  
  
Nuriko looked down at the unconscious emperor in his arms. "Eh? I guess he *did* escape…" He lifted the man up easily, carrying him out of the maze.  
  
~@~  
  
"You knocked him out?" Mitsukake asked disbelievingly.  
  
The whole group had made it through the maze (yes, even Rachel and Chichiri clocked in with twenty-two minutes) and were now gathered around a bench Hotohori had been lain on.  
  
Nuriko glared at the healer. "And?"  
  
Rachel was trying hard not to laugh. She sank down to her knees, shoulders shaking form the silent chuckles. ~He finally found him… and then knocked him out?!~  
  
Chichiri knelt beside her, brow furrowed in concern. "Rachel-sama? Are you alright no da?"  
  
"I'm f-fine," the girl replied, composing herself before standing up. "What're we gonna do with him?"  
  
"We should take him home." Mitsukake said evenly.  
  
((Wee! Another chapter is done! Woo-hoo! *pumps fist in the air* There will be another chapter of Rei no Nakushita Yume in approximately *checks watch* two to three weeks.  
  
Time for reviews!  
  
Samurai-Nashie: *gringrin* I'm so glad you like it! It's so much fun to portray them in the real world… ^_________^  
  
Wolfdog: Hehheh… Who's to say you won't find out?  
  
That's it, minna!   
  
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What are you still doing here? This chapter is over! Bye!)) 


	7. Homework

((Okieday, people! I decided that since my writer's block on Rei is still running rampant, I'd type up another chapter of H.B. t'tide y'all over! Hope this chapter holds up to my usual standards of *derisive snort* excellence.   
  
For any of you who dislike the fact that I replaced Miaka with myself, gomen, but I just kinda… don't like her. Those of you who do, that's great! The odango-head needs all the support she can get!   
  
Disclaimer(s): I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. Too bad, but it's true. However, I love the characters to death and shall try as hard as possible to stay "in character". Can somebody define "in character" for me, because I seem to find that the characters have a life of their own on the page…  
  
Anyhow, I do, however, own myself, and (unfortunately) Hikari. Why I made him into a seriously delusional poof in this I will never know.   
  
Warning(s): Random teacher bashing (O'Geen, I really don't hate you, I swear!) and Hikari-bashing. Not to mention some rather suggestive name-calling towards a certain blue haired monk. Random fluff and flying school supplies ahead!!))  
  
Chapter six: Homework  
  
"Watch his head, Nuriko! The stair rail is about to brain him!" Tamahome warned.  
  
They had somehow managed to pile into the rental van, the unconscious Hotohori having to suffer the undignified position of lying across several laps.   
  
Nuriko was now attempting to take him down the stairs as carefully as possible, with Tamakins…er…helping.  
  
"Yeah, yeah!" the cross-dresser snapped, finally getting annoyed with the over-anxious teen. He stuck his tongue out at the midnight-blue haired boy before disappearing down the stairs.  
  
~@~  
  
'Hotohori woke up perfectly alright (aside from a major headache from lack of oxygen…) about an hour ago.' Rachel wrote in a small red journal. She would lean over to write a sentence or two every few minutes. Open on her lap was a biology textbook and strewn around her were several pages of notes.  
  
She yawned, closing the journal. ~I shouldn't be tired… it's only two o'clock…~   
  
Tick… Tick…  
  
"AGH!!! I CAN'T DO THIS!! MR.O'GEEN, WHY DO YOU HATE ME?!"  
  
Everyone in the condo jumped, including the army guy next door and the cat lady two floors down.  
  
"Gods, Rach! What's your problem?!" Nuriko asked from behind the couch he had dove behind for cover. When Rachel got this way, things (calculators, pencils, etc.) usually went flying.  
  
"My teachers hate me," the russet-haired girl said tonelessly.  
  
"So do we." Hikari muttered. The shout had woken the beast-god up from a rather pleasant dream in which he had gotten a nice new pair of nylons, and he was now giving Rachel a glare that would send most people to the lowest level of hell. Of course, this only works on people who were never known as "Queen of the Damned".   
  
…She had toned down a lot since becoming involved ((AN: That's right, *involved*!)) with Chichiri.  
  
She shot a glare to rival Hikari's back at him. "Shut up, unicorn-boy."  
  
"You first, miko of the almighty Chicken!" he retorted. Stupidly, as it would turn out.  
  
"HEY!" all of the Suzaku sei shouted in unison.   
  
The girl grinned. "Wanna say that again, Frank?"   
  
((AN: Frank as in Dr. Frank N. Furter from "Rocky Horror Picture Show". If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend you don't. Unless you happen to be over the age of thirteen. If you haven't, think Frank from M*A*S*H.))  
  
Hikari smirked. Now was his chance to be rid of the wench once and for all! "I've wanted to do this for a *long time*!" he said, a beautifully engraved spiral-bladed sword appearing in his hands.  
  
Rachel matched him smirk-for-smirk, putting fist to palm in a kajukenbo-style bow. "Bring it."  
  
Chichiri rolled his good eye. "Could you two stop fighting? It's really immature no da."  
  
The god flashed a grin at the mage. "Stay out of this itoshii," he said.  
  
"Don't call him that!" The girl rushed Hikari, attempting to knock him over with a jab to the chin.  
  
He just grinned ferally and blocked the blow with one hand while attempting to skewer her with the other. "Heh. Better than what I heard about *you* calling him," he taunted.  
  
This had gone on long enough, as far as Chichiri was concerned. One of them was bound to get themselves hurt. Well, not if he could help it. He muttered a quick spell under his breath, making the appropriate movements with his hands at his side.  
  
The combatants found themselves unable to move. "Hey! That's not fair!" Rachel exclaimed.  
  
~@~  
  
"I'm sorry, Rachel-sama, It's just that if I hadn't you might have been hurt no da!"  
  
She just turned a withering glare on him. "I wouldn't have been hurt, you know that!"  
  
Chichiri shook his head. "Something tells me he was serious this time."  
  
"So was I."  
  
"You don't mean you would've…?" he let the question hang in the air, raising an inquisitive eyebrow.  
  
"Nah. Wounded? Yes. Most definitely yes. Killed? No." She bit her lip shyly. "DO you have any idea what he was implying, though?"  
  
He considered this for a moment. He had a vague idea, but… "No."  
  
"Good." Rachel sighed and curled up next to him on the couch. "You don't want to know."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her into a loose embrace. "Knowing Hikari I *definitely* don't want to know no da."  
  
"Mmhmm."   
  
((Okay. There were some Author's Notes in there if you didn't notice. Yeah, like you couldn't… Anywho. Here's a basic definition of the whole Hikari/Chiri relationship:   
  
Hikari likes Chichiri. Chichiri doesn't like Hikari. At least, not *that* way. Sorry, Hikarikins, you'll just have to keep dreaming…  
  
Y'see, in the original versions of Rei, Hikari was not only the god of Light, but also a little… crooked. Not a follower of the "straight" path. Anyhow, I was going to have him develop a crush on you-know-who, but I decided that a) that was kinda corny, and b) I don't really like writing that kinda stuff. To add a further c) I would much rather Hikari were more of the pompous holier-than-thou type of god-figure. That way he can get on Rei's nerves.  
  
Also, for those of you who haven't seen "Rocky Horror", Dr. Frank N. Furter is a transvestite, and that is where Hikari's fishnet stockings in chapter five came from.  
  
Reviews:  
  
Otaku-no-miko: ^_^ Thanks for reviewing, and I changed it because Chiriko doesn't really have much of a part in the original, and he's just so CUTE! Oh, and I have a cryptic little message for you: First you have to make a choice. And then you have to believe. You know what I mean.  
  
Wolfdog-21: *gringrin* Woo-hoo! PARTAAAAAAY!!! I'll bring the pretzels! Another chapter of Rei should be coming soon to a monitor near you!)) 


	8. Luau

((Alrighty, folks! Another chapter of the Horrific Duo is up!   
  
…Eh? This isn't the Horrific Duo?   
  
Eheheheheheh… I mean, another chapter of Hawaii's Blue and Rei no Nakushita Yume is up! Yeah, that's it!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. I don't own the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii either. And as much as I wish I did, I don't own Hawaii... I do own myself, but sometimes I wonder…  
  
Warning(s): MAKE OVERS!!! Every body run for the hills! Oh, and me being paranoid… And… Fluff… And… OOCness… And… Is that it? I think that's it… I hope that's it…))  
  
Chapter Seven: Luau  
  
Hikari glowered at Rachel as she came up the stairs. 'It's not fair! What's so special about _her_? Why does she get him?'  
  
She caught the glare and threw it back at him, then sat down on the futon. " 'Morning, all."  
  
Those present were all sitting in various states of semi-wakefulness. At the greeting one or two grunted and the rest yawned.   
  
Yup, you guessed it. Nobody had made coffee.  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Aren't we a happy bunch today? I know what will cheer at least one of you up. We're going to a luau."  
  
Nuriko's head snapped up, a demonic grin on his features, lavender eyes sparkling. "MAKE OVERS!" he crowed.  
  
"Not on _me_!" Rachel said, forming a cross in front of her with her hands and hissing.  
  
"Please?"  
  
"No."  
  
"_Please?"_  
  
"No!"  
  
Nuriko gave her the puppy dog look. You all know the one. I'm sure that if you have younger relatives you've seen it a bunch of times.  
  
"_Fine_." She sighed. "But nothing _too_ fancy."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
Chichiri came up the stairs. He was perhaps the most awake of all of them. His bangs were still dripping from the shower, covering his scar and creating the illusion of a complete face. ((AN: This is going to sound like I'm a fashion designer or something… Gomen!)) The monk was wearing a white tank top and denim jeans. The look oddly enough suited him.  
  
"Did I miss anything no da?" he asked, sitting down beside Rachel.  
  
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "Nah. Jus' yer gurlfriend sealin' our doom."  
  
"Hey! I am _not_ 'sealin' our doom', as you put it! It's just a luau, not a fight to the death!"  
  
"Same diff'rence."  
  
Rachel glared at the fanged teen. "It's not like you have to worry about Nuriko giving you a make over!"  
  
"Feh."

.:{O}:.  
  
"Do you own anything that isn't black?!" Nuriko cried, holding up a handful of black clothing.  
  
An evil smirk was answer enough. "No. I may not be Queen of the Damned anymore, but that doesn't mean I changed the wardrobe."  
  
"But I thought he'd turned you into a 'good' girl!"  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes. "You can take the girl away from the evil, but you can't take the evil away from the girl."   
  
"Fine. We'll work with black, then. Any dresses?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Ah… That would be a no."  
  
"Skirts?"  
  
"One," she said in the tones of the hopelessly trapped.  
  
"Short? Long?"  
  
"Medium."  
  
Nuriko grinned and clapped his hands together like a thirteen-year-old-girl at her first sleep over. "Good! Any nice shirts?"  
  
Rachel arched an eyebrow. "Maybe."  
  
"I'll take that as a yes. Shoes?"  
  
"One pair of dress shoes. No heels."  
  
Nuriko looked slightly put out at this, but recovered quickly. "We can work with that!"

.:{O}:.

A terrified beyond belief Rachel charged up the stairs like all the demons of the nine hells were after her, shoes in hand. What was actually chasing her was, if anything, worse than a demon. Nuriko was in close pursuit, a makeup bag clenched in his hand.  
  
"Come on! It's just _makeup_!" he called.  
  
"NO!" the teen cried, reaching the top of the stairs and diving behind a very confused Chichiri.   
  
The monk glanced at her over his shoulder. "I take it the make over's going well no da," he commented dryly.  
  
"Save me."

.:{O}:.

Rachel was once again heading up the stairs. Nuriko had finally given up on the makeup and had moved on to her hair. After a minor argument ((AN: Minor is an understatement.)), they had finally agreed on a loose bun, held in place with two sleek black 'chopsticks' and a lot of bobbypins.   
  
Another argument broke out over the shirt. Rachel had wanted to go with the conservative look, namely a plain three-quarter sleeve shirt with a modest neck. Nuriko had other ideas.  
  
"C'mon! It'll look good!"  
  
"The neck is too low!" Rachel said, looking at herself in the mirror. The offending article was currently held up in front of her and, yes, the neck did look low. Lower than low, in fact.  
  
Nuriko rolled his eyes in exasperation. "There's nothing wrong with showing a little skin!"  
  
"This is coming from a _cross-dresser_ with nothing to fill something like this out with!"  
  
"Hey, if you've got it, flaunt it!"  
  
"But..."  
  
"It won't even show any cleavage, Rach! There's nothing wrong with it!"  
  
Miraculously, Nuriko had won that one. So, Rachel was walking up the stairs in a sleeveless, black shirt with a low cut vee-neck.  
  
'Stupid Nuriko...' She thought, glancing down. He had been right, too. This shirt wasn't so low cut that it was revealing. That little fact just annoyed her more.  
  
Tamahome and Hotohori looked up from planning an attempt on Hikari's life at the sound of footsteps. Their jaws dropped.  
  
"Damn she cleans up good..." Tamahome muttered.  
  
The emperor, who had recovered first, elbowed the blue-haired miser in the ribs. "Have you no manners?!" he hissed.  
  
"What?! You _know_ you were thinking it!"  
  
Chichiri sighed and flexed his fingers without looking up from the travel book he was reading. 'Pest control...'  
  
The two plotters were now mouthing silently at each other. As one man they turned to glare at the monk, who ignored them adeptly.  
  
"Well that's _two_ people with a positive consensus." Rachel said, crossing her arms and leaning against the banister.  
  
Chichiri glanced at her, then did a double take. "...You look nice."  
  
She grinned. "Thanks."  
  
Hikari came up the stairs behind her. "Nuriko did a good job, then?" he said, examining the girl. "He didn't have much to work with, but..."  
  
Rachel glared at him. "I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult."  
  
The god shrugged. "Whichever you prefer. Let's just say that if I didn't have a target already, you'd be in trouble."

.:{O}:.

At the Polynesian Cultural Center...  
  
Nuriko was looking around with wide eyes. 'Woah... There sure are a lot of shirtless islanders...'  
  
Hikari was thinking the same thing, but he was making it more obvious. As a particularly good looking "tourist attraction" walked by, he said loudly, "He's cute!"  
  
The cross-dresser had to admit it was true. 'But nobody's as cute my heika-sama!' he thought stubbornly.   
  
"Hikari! Gods, you're embarrassing!" Nuriko scolded, more for the look of things than actual annoyance.  
  
"And? You were thinking the same thing! I bet Rachel was too!"  
  
The girl in question shook her head. "Nope." She was too busy silently cursing Nuriko to notice the islanders. Her outfit had begun drawing looks from almost every male over twelve as soon as they entered the park. 'Eeeeew...' The last look had come from a little old man that looked like a close candidate for Darwin's missing link.  
  
'Why did I let Nuriko talk me into this?' she asked herself.

.:{O}:.

The Imax theater was cool and calm and blissfully lacking in lecherous old men. The group had split up, most of them wanting to watch the boat pageant.   
  
Rachel and Chichiri had opted to head to the Imax theater, which was showing a film called "The Living Sea", featuring music by Sting. So of course Rachel, ever the die-hard rock n' roll fan, couldn't pass it up.   
  
Then there was the added bonus of it being an educational film, which turned away a lot of people for some strange reason.  
  
They were the only people in the room aside from a little old lady who was giving them the type of looks that said: "Okay, you young hooligans. I have a walking stick and I ain't afraid to use it!"  
  
"Watch out for the old bat with the couple cleaver..." Rachel muttered, grinning as she earned herself a chuckle.  
  
" 'Couple cleaver'?" Chichiri asked incredulously.  
  
"Yup. Any large stick used to pry apart kids having a little too much fun. The name originated at my high school, actually... One of our 'spies' had one."  
  
He raised his eyebrows. "Wow. Harsh school."  
  
"Uh-huh..."  
  
The lights dimmed and images started flashing on the screen. The music began, softly at first, and then crescendoing as the camera sped over the sapphire blue waters of the Hawaiian islands.

.:{O}:.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Tasuki muttered to Tamahome.  
  
" 'To enrich our lives through exposure to new cultures.' Direct quote from Rachel," the warrior said with a grin.  
  
The bandit rolled his golden eyes. "Great. Jus' great."  
  
Rachel ran up to the group, a wreath of purple flowers around her neck. "I got lei'd!"   
  
Everyone face-vaulted, with the exception of Nuriko. He blinked, then broke into a wide grin. He nudged Chichiri in the ribs (which made the monk cough) and said, " 'Chiri, you old dog! I didn't know you two had gotten that far!"  
  
"Da?!"  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Mind out of the gutter, Nuri." She held up the wreath, pointing at them. "This is called a 'lei'. Everybody gets one."  
  
Nuriko glared at her. "Why didn't you say so?"  
  
"I just did."  
  
((Okieday. That's another chapter! Woohoo! There was going to be some really rampant fluff, but I decided to edit it out, since this is supposed to be a comedy, not a romance. Anyone who wants to see more of the romantic side can tell me so, and I'll add more, okay?  
  
History Lesson: I actually bought the soundtrack to "The Living Sea". If you can get your hands on it, I really recommend buying it! Speaking of music, if anybody wonders what I listen to when I'm typing, it's usually Aerosmith, Beatles, or Supertramp. Don't ask why.  
  
Reviews:   
  
Wolfdog-21: Hikari was implying a little thing that me and one of my friends do. Y'see, if someone mentions Tasuki, she automatically says "MY B17CH!" so I started doing the same thing for Chiri.   
  
Otaku-no-Miko: Glad you like it. And I was getting a root canal, I told you.  
  
Nuriko295: I think I sent you an e-mail about who Hikari is, but to elaborate further... Hikari is a god, half brother to the four gods of the Universe. He was created by Tai-Itsukun to help combat the darkness that is always threatening to swallow their world. In this I just decided to make him a bit of a poof, and wear fishnet stockings for the hell of it.  
  
Samurai-Nashie: Glad you like it! I'll be sure to add more about Tasuki in later chappies, k?  
  
Oh, and before I forget, EVERYBODY HAS TO GO AND READ OPAARU TSUKI'S STORIES!!!))


	9. Horizons

((Alright! I know it's been, like, forever since I updated this fic, but... Well, here it is! Another chapter! Yahooo!   
  
...I have some bad news. Guess what came back on Rei? That's right, folks! My writer's block has returned! Damnit.  
  
Disclaimer(s): I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. Nor do I own Star Trek in any way shape or form, or Nintendo and all associated products. Daaa... I own Hikari and myself. All places mentioned in this fic do exist, and I do not claim dominion over any of them.   
  
Warning(s): Sorry, folks, this is another chapter where the kissing interferes with the joking... Ah, me... I just can't help mahself! Being a fangirl is so tough, sometimes...))  
  
Chapter Eight: Horizons  
  
((A/N: Luau's, despite what everyone says, are incredibly boring if you can't drink. Therefore, since the only members of our group that are old enough are Chichiri and Mitsukake, and I don't like writing the healer drunk. So, I'm skipping the whole thing. Going straight to the Horizons show, people. Which was really awesome, by the way, but I digress...))  
  
It was dark outside, the walkways almost complete black save for small pools of golden light where torches had been set. There were a few electric lights to disturb the tranquil, earthy mood, but a person with a good imagination could turn them into fireflies in the distance.   
  
Clouds drifted across a full moon, and Mars was shining brightly, visible even through the clouds.  
  
"We have a while before the show starts. I wanna go to the gift shop!" Nuriko whined, clinging to Hotohori's arm.   
  
The emperor looked distressed. "So? You're old enough to go by yourself," he said, attempting to detach the purple-haired boy.  
  
Nuriko looked hurt for a moment, but then his expression cleared into the usual evil smirk. He latched on tighter. "I don't wanna go by myself," he stated.  
  
"I'll go with ya," Tasuki volunteered.  
  
The purple-haired seishi was beside himself. "Yay!" he cried, looping his free arm through the bandit's own.  
  
Hotohori gave up at that point. It was simply impossible to get Nuriko to let go when he was determined.   
  
"If he's going, I'm going." Tamahome.  
  
"The emperor needs an advisor at all times," Chiriko said, serious tone belying the happy grin on his face.  
  
Hikari watched the departing group for a bit before grabbing Mitsukake's arm and pulling him after them. "C'mon, big guy."  
  
"But-"   
  
"I said _come on_."  
  
Rachel blinked a couple of times before looking up at Chichiri with a half-smile. "Ever get the feeling you're being set up?" she asked dryly.  
  
"Frequently."  
  
"What do you suggest we do about it?" she asked, sitting on the low rock wall behind them.  
  
The mage sat down beside her. "Either we follow them-"  
  
"-or we make the best of our situation," she finished with a smirk.  
  
He arched an eyebrow at her. "That wasn't what I was about to suggest."  
  
"I know."  
  
.::O::.  
  
The gift shop was pretty typical, everything in it being cheaply made and expensively sold.   
  
Tamahome looked around with a look of distaste. To the frugal boy anything that costed more than a few dollars was not worth his time.  
  
Nuriko, meanwhile, was looking around with wide violet eyes. Some of the things they had in here...  
  
He snickered, pulling Hotohori over to a display of statues.   
  
"Look, here's a fertility statue! Think I should get it for Rachel?" he asked with a snicker.  
  
"Do you ever get tired of tormenting them?"  
  
"Nah. It's just so cute the way they blush in unison..."  
  
The emperor rolled his eyes.   
  
Then he noticed the looks he was getting from the women in the building and preened.   
  
.::O::.  
  
'Why the hell am I embarrassed? We've been dating for how long...?' Rachel thought. Yet the fact still remained that she was incredibly nervous. It was something in the air here. It must have been.   
  
She edged a little closer to Chichiri.  
  
"Hey, um... I've been wondering..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
The russet felt herself blushing, and mentally slapped herself. 'You're acting like a junior high student with her first crush! Snap out of it!!'  
  
"Eh... Did you ever get annoyed with me before..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Before us?"  
  
He blinked. "What brought that on?"  
  
"Well, you used to avoid me like the plague a few months ago, for one thing."  
  
Chichiri smiled slightly. "That wasn't because I was annoyed."  
  
"No?"  
  
"No. I wasn't avoiding you, I was avoiding myself."  
  
An eyebrow rose. "That makes no sense."  
  
He sighed. "I meant I was avoiding my emotions."  
  
'I didn't know he felt that way back then...' Rachel rested her head on his shoulder. "You should have told me," she said quietly.  
  
He was silent for a while, absentmindedly stroking her hair. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "...I couldn't. I didn't know how you'd react. I didn't even really believe my own emotions for a long time."  
  
She chuckled softly. "So you let Nuriko play matchmaker?"  
  
"Well, apparently he wasn't blind as the two of us were at that point..."  
  
"I'm glad that you _did _tell me," she whispered, tracing his jaw line with her fingertips, lips curved upward in a loving smile.  
  
Chichiri caught her hand in his, mahogany gaze meeting blue-green. She tilted her face upwards slightly, a question in her eyes.  
  
He answered her silent question by giving her a gentle kiss. "Aishiteru," he murmured.  
  
The girl responded eagerly to his touch, placing her hands on his shoulders as she leaned forward, kissing him back passionately.  
  
Without thinking, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer. He caressed the back of her neck gently, seeking to deepen the kiss to the best of his ability.  
  
Rachel's pulse quickened, back arching slightly, a sensation like hot electricity shooting up her spine. 'We have to stop...' she thought, breaking the kiss reluctantly. 'Gods, but I don't want to stop.' Her hands were trembling slightly as she released him.  
  
Nuriko appeared, the emperor still in tow. The lavender-haired seishi leered at the couple. "Having fun guys?"  
  
As one they glared at him.  
  
"I'll take that as a 'yes-until-you-showed-up' look. Sorry if I interrupted anything, but the show's about to start," he said with a wink at the word 'anything'.  
  
Rachel glanced up at Chichiri and shrugged. "Shall we?"  
  
"...we paid for it, didn't we?" he asked, standing up.  
  
"Well, yeah, I guess we did."  
  
.::O::.  
  
((The Horizons show, while amazing, is very hard to describe. I recommend you go and see it for yourself. And if you can't... Eh... Imagine a whole bunch of people dancing and singing in various grass skirts and bolts of cloth and such. Very exotic.))  
  
Chiriko was literally bouncing off the walls of the condo. "Did you see the fire-dancers? Weren't the cool?! I thought they were cool! Did you think they were cool?!" the child prodigy babbled.  
  
"Yes, Chiriko. They were cool. Now stop bouncing around," Rachel said listlessly. She was practically asleep on her feet.   
  
"I have one question: _Who gave him caffeine??!!_" she exclaimed as she sat down on one of the couches.  
  
Tasuki rolled his eyes. "Blame it on Nuriko, wherever he went."  
  
The cross-dresser, who had been heading downstairs, poked his head up over the railing and stuck his tongue out. "Nyah!"  
  
Rachel glared down the stairs after him. "YOU'RE STAYING UP WITH HIM!!" she shouted.  
  
"YEAH, YEAH!"  
  
.::O::.  
  
Rachel sat on the edge of her bed playing her Gameboy Advance SP ((insert copyright notice here)) and trying to stay awake. Then her ship blew up. "He's dead, Jim."  
  
"Who's dead?" Chichiri asked, sitting down beside her.  
  
"Jack's dead, Jim."  
  
He facevaulted and put a hand to her forehead. "...no fever." The monk examined her left foot. "...Kanji's still there."   
  
'I still don't get how she can be a miko and a seishi at the same time...'  
  
"Go to sleep," he said, taking his own advice and laying down.  
  
"Is that an ordair, Keptin?" she asked with a very bad Russian accent as she closed the Gameboy.  
  
"Yes, Chekov, that's an order." Chichiri sighed. 'She must be really tired.'  
  
"That's illogical, doctor. Vulcans can go for days without sleep..." Rachel muttered, laying next to him. She snuggled close, a very un-Vulcan act, but she didn't care. She had already fallen asleep.  
  
"That has got to be by far the _strangest _conversation we've ever had," he muttered as he turned off the light.  
  
((Nyahahaha... Well, that's all folks. It's not All She Wrote, but it is all for this installment of Hawaii's Blue.   
  
Review time!  
  
Miaka: ::gringrin:: I'm glad you like it!   
  
Rhapsody: Muahahaha... I know who you are now... Had to ask otaku, but... Yeah... Anywho. I'm glad you like my fic! Make that fics... Ahem.   
  
Only two?? Come on people! You can do better than that! This fic officially has a curse on it. If you read and don't review your fingers will fall off in a week! Bwahahahaaa!!)) 


	10. Mancala is a Bored Game

((Wheee! I'm back in action! Finally. Sorry, jadies and lentilmen, I've been spending the summer drawing. Haven't been able to get myself to write much. And the summer is almost over for me! Waaaaah! I don't wanna go back to school!  
  
Disclaimer(s): I do not own Fushigi Yuugi. Does everybody have that in their heads? Good. I own myself and Hikari the Gay Unicorn-Boy. Wish I owned Chiri, but unfortunately I don't...   
  
Warning(s): OOCness. Blatant self-insert. Glares, dares, and cross-dressers! Not to mention some random fluff and a few tasteless jokes. Well, actually, they do have a taste, but I'm not gonna describe it.))

Chapter Nine: Mancala is a Bored GameThe next five days were uneventful. Basically, everybody acted like tourists for a while. Well, normal tourists, that is. Alright, slightly _abnormal_ tourists.  
  
The one exception was Rachel, who became obsessed with looking in every bookstore they found and flatly refusing to be impressed by anything that wasn't manga.  
  
Then it was time to get on another plane and leave Oahu for Hawaii.  
  
.::0::.  
  
"Wow! It's so green... and torrential," Rachel commented as she flicked on the wind-shield wipers. The rain was coming down in what could only be described as sheets. Even with the wipers on at full speed the windshield was covered in water, making it almost impossible to see out.  
  
"Umm... I think this is it..." she muttered, pulling into a driveway.  
  
A red two-story house could barely be seen through the rain. It appeared to have a ping-pong table on the patio of the first story, with stairs leading up to the second.  
  
"There are three rooms, one with two beds." Rachel glared at Nuriko. "Would you like to make the sleeping arrangements again?"  
  
He grinned and flipped his lavender braid over his shoulder. "Nah. Something tells me I won't have to," said with a wink.  
  
Chichiri favored him with an incredulous look. "Are you implying something no da?"  
  
"Not a thing," Nuriko replied in a singsong voice.  
  
.::0::.  
  
The room situation was sorted out comparatively easily, only one minor argument arising over who would share a room with Hotohori. Nuriko volunteered at once, of course, but Rachel noticed the emperor's strained look and decided against it. Instead, Mitsukake would share the room with Saihitei.  
  
Nuriko had sulked for a while, but his infectiously cheerful attitude could never stay dampened for long.  
  
"So what're we gonna do tomorrow?" he asked the room in general.  
  
Chiriko looked up from a travel guide, looking to Rachel. "Can we go to the Thurston lava tube?"  
  
She smiled. "Sure, kid. That is if there aren't any objections?"  
  
There was a chorus of three "sounds cool"s, two "whatever"s, two "good idea"s, and a shrug.  
  
Chiriko grinned. "Thanks, guys!"  
  
Tasuki ruffled the youngest seishi's hair affectionately. "No problem," he said.  
  
.::0::.  
  
Rachel sighed. 'Boredboredboredboredbored...' she chanted mentally. Art was fun, but her attention span was short when it came to sketching palm trees. Which was all she could see out her window. Fantastic. She yawned and fell off the windowsill she had been perched on. "Ouchie," the girl muttered, sitting up and rubbing the back of her head. Then she fell back again with a groan.   
  
"Where's Nuriko when you need him?" she plaintively asked the ceiling.  
  
"Someone call?" Nuriko asked, poking his head around the door.  
  
She looked up at the ceiling again. "Ye gods, I wasn't _serious_!"  
  
Nuriko harrumphed, crossing his arms and sitting down on th bed. "So? I take it you're bored?"  
  
"Poof!" Rachel shouted, pouncing on the bed.  
  
The cross-dresser jumped out of her way with wide eyes. "I'm used to being called that, but being attacked is new..."  
  
The girl snickered. "No, no! It's just that when you sat down the sheets poofed up!"  
  
Nuriko blinked.  
  
"Honestly!"  
  
"...baka," he said fondly, sitting beside her. "What shall we do?"  
  
"Iunno."  
  
He grinned. "Well... we could go bother Chiri..."  
  
"No," Rachel said flatly.  
  
She was silent for a long time before finally looking up with an evil grin on her face and a maniac glint in her eyes.  
  
"Mancala!" she exclaimed.  
  
"_Nani??!!_"  
  
.::0::.  
  
At some point during the game Chichiri had walked in. Somehow he had been roped into keeping score, although the details of how shall not be elaborated on. Go ahead. Let your imagination do the math.  
  
Te tell the truth, Mancala is incredibly boring to watch. So it's a given that the poor mage would start having those fun little moments when the mind wanders so far it falls off the edge of the map. As we all know, when this happens the mind goes completely blank. If you don't know, we recommend you try it. Seriously. Your parents will wonder what's wrong with you. That's the fun part.  
  
It was during one of these moments that Nuriko grinned wickedly and pointed at the monk, mouthing "Wake him up!" at Rachel.  
  
The girl arched an eyebrow. "How?" she mouthed back.  
  
Nuriko's grin widened and he made some extremely suggestive gestures with his hands.  
  
Rachel shook her head violently at this. "No way!" she exclaimed silently.  
  
The man crawled over to sit beside her. "I dare you," he whispered.  
  
"No! Especially not that last gesture you made!"  
  
"C'mon! You two do stuff like that all the time!" he wheedled.  
  
She looked indignant. "We do not! Trust me, I'd remember!"  
  
"Could've fooled me. Triple dare you."  
  
Rachel finally caved in. "Fine..."  
  
'I can't believe I'm doing this...' she thought as she moved to sit beside the mage. 'Stupid Nuriko and his stupid dares... Well, here goes nothing...'   
  
She draped her arms around his shoulders, twining the fingers of one hand through his hair.   
  
No response. His eyelashes didn't even flutter.  
  
'Damn. I guess I have to go through with the whole damn dare.' She felt herself blush and heard Nuriko stifle a snicker. Rachel shot the lavender-haired seishi a death glare. "Wake up, koibito..." she murmured, hesitating before going through with the dare.   
  
Once again, no effect.  
  
'Damn.'  
  
She sighed and nuzzled his neck.   
  
"Nnn?" Chichiri finally woke up. "Rachel...? What are you doing?!"  
  
She let him go and pointed an accusatory finger at the wickedly cackling Nuriko. "He dared me, I swear!" she said.  
  
"You accepted a dare from _Nuriko_?"  
  
"Eh... Yes?" The corner of her mouth twitched upward in a wry smile. "That was kinda dumb, wasn't it?"  
  
His expression softened. Smiling slightly, he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Well, you could always get him back," he whispered.  
  
She rested her head on his shoulder with a sigh. "Just how do you propose we do that?"  
  
Chichiri shrugged. "Dunno."  
  
"You're helpful."  
  
He kissed the top of her head. "Mmhmm. Always."  
  
Nuriko glared at them. "All right, enough lovey-dovey stuff," he said, pulling them apart gently. "Besides, I _know_ you two are plotting something!"  
  
Rachel blinked at him innocently, blue eyes sincere. "Plotting? Us?"  
  
"We weren't plotting anything no da," Chichiri added.  
  
"Right."  
  
The russet-haired girl grinned. "Truth or dare, Nuriko?"  
  
His eyes widened. "Uh... dare?" he said against his better judgement.  
  
"I dare you to act like a guy for two days."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Rachel's grin became decidedly wicked. "You heard me. I'll count today if you start now."  
  
Nuriko gritted his teeth. Deepening his feminine voice, he said, "Fine. I'll have to borrow some of your clothes, Chichiri."  
  
"Why me no da?"  
  
"You're closest to my build, that's why."  
  
The monk raised his eyebrows, but nodded.  
  
.::0::.  
  
"Who th'hell're you?!" Tasuki exclaimed, seeing Nuriko for the first time in men's clothes.  
  
The ex-cross-dresser glared at the bandit. "Shaddup, Fang-boy."  
  
"Eh? _Nuriko_?"  
  
"No, the Masked Marauder. Duh!"  
  
Tasuki grinned, unfazed by the sarcasm. "Ya look like a guy! Lemme look at ya." He circled Nuriko, examining the full effect of the change. "Huh. The shoulders don't fit on yer shirt."  
  
Chichiri blinked as Nuriko stuck his tongue out at him. "What? Can I help it if my shoulders are broader than yours no da?" he asked.  
  
"Hmph. Can _I_ help it if I have a more feminine frame than you?"  
  
"Yes," Rachel interjected.  
  
Nuriko glared daggers at her. "Maybe I should borrow one of your shirts! It'd fit better, and most of them are masculine enough!"  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Wanna say that again?" she asked with a vicious smirk, baring claw-like nails.  
  
"You heard me." The cross-dresser had obviously decided against continuing the argument.  
  
"That's what I thought."  
  
((Well, that's it for yet another installment of Hawaii's Blue.   
  
Reviews:   
  
Zolac-no-miko: Thanks for reading my fic! I was reading yours in school... My favorite scene was Chiri meditating while driving... Ye gods, that would be scary...  
  
Sorry, folks, but I forgot to save the rest of the reviews onto my PC... And my comp sucks when it comes to logging onto the net and running a typing program at the same time. Please don't kill me! I'll do better next time, I swear!)) 


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